


Flash Reborn

by Wowie_Lamo



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Barry - Freeform, Barry Allen - Freeform, Caitlyn - Freeform, Central City, Episode: s04e01 The Flash Reborn, F/M, Flash - Freeform, Iris - Freeform, Iris West - Freeform, Love, angst if you squint, bad at tags, barryallen, iris west-allen - Freeform, iriswest, married, theflash - Freeform, wallywest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 18:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15346245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wowie_Lamo/pseuds/Wowie_Lamo
Summary: Barry slows down.





	Flash Reborn

After Barry was forced out of the speed force. After he was found by the police and brought in. After he was released to his family. After his friends gave up on helping him. Thinking it was hopeless.  
They accepted Barry as he was now. Unable to do his duties as the Flash; he tended to stay near Iris. Only leaving her when she left for work, and when he wanted to write.  
The writing. Barry wrote over every wall he could find empty with his markers. After cleaning the walls for the 3rd time in a row; Cisco opted to give him a marker that the ink disappeared after an hour.  
Barry was all over the place. Words jumbled and broken. His frustrated cries as he gripped his head in pain. Iris wondered if Barry was still sane somewhere in there. Wanting to get out. The Flash part of him begging to be let free. Wanting everything to get back to normal. But that was impossible. Cisco told her. She still believed though. Hoped.  
Currently Barry was in the apartment with Iris. She walked to Barry as he had another episode of words. Or at least that's what they called them.  
"Stars. Chiming. Rhyming. Timing." He gripped his head. Almost as if it hurt to speak.  
Iris placed her hands on Barry's. She leant over his hunched frame and gently kissed his forehead. He calmed. His speaking stopped, as he looked up at Iris. Her dark eyes showed sadness that Barry understood all to well.  
Iris found out that Barry could read emotions. He communicated through body language. If Iris was sad, Barry would be there at a moments notice. If Iris was happy, he would laugh along with her. Just her smile was enough to make Barry light up. He might not of been able to say it, but Iris knew he loved her too.  
"Iris." Barry pleaded.  
"I'm here Barry." She hugged him. Wrapping his body tightly in her arms, as if he would disappear again into the Speed Force. She felt like Barry could slip away at any time. And it terrified her.  
Barry, was always usually calm. Content even. Content with what was going on. Either that, or oblivious to the Flash. Oblivious to his previous superhero duties, that Wally has since taken up due to his disappearance.  
Iris led him to the couch. He sat by her side. Tired from his episode. Although he didn't voice it. Iris knew.  
She flicked through the TV channels; settling on an old episode of Friends. Barry's eyes lit up, as the TV rapidly switched through the moving pictures. He seemed to be in awe. Like a child seeing a movie for the first time. Iris giggled a bit at his reaction. He looked to her and smiled.  
They watched TV that night for hours, until Barry fell asleep next to her. She quietly moved through the dark house. Pulling a throw blanket out. A warm red color. Soft like a cloud. Barry gave it to her as a Christmas present. She laid it on him gently. Trying not to disturb the sleeping speedster.  
Iris got into bed. Making sure she left the TV on for Barry. She didn't like the empty feeling in her chest. It felt as though, the hole in her heart from Barry's leaving, never really filled again. It's like he is still in the Speed Force. In a way he is. Stuck behind his words, and confusion, and pain from the memories that haunted him.  
Later that night, Iris was woken up by a quick gust of wind. She sat up.  
"Barry?" She called out into the darkness. She leaned over to to turn the light on. It illuminating the big flat. Iris noticed immediately. Right where Barry was supposed to be sleeping comfortably.  
She bolted up off the bed and looked around the place to make sure Barry didn't leave. But to no avail he was gone.  
"Barry!" She cried out.  
Lightning flashed outside along with the crack of thunder. It poured down. Iris was almost unable to see the bright lights of cars driving by. She looked over to the time. The digital clock read 5:07 AM.  
Iris decided to call Cisco, hoping that he was still at Star Labs doing one of his allnighters.  
No answer...  
That meant Cisco was at home. Asleep. She opted to just go to Star Labs herself. He had to be there. Barry always goes to Star Labs. It's one of the only places he recognizes.  
At 5:38 she arrived at Star Labs. Quickly she rushed inside, hiding from the cold. She shook the water off her umbrella as the elevator opened. Iris looked through the building. Until she came to the main room.  
Barry was hunched in a corner. He gripped his hair as he blurted out words. The walls around him covered in fresh ink. The symbols scribbled with disparity. He didn't notice her walk in. He didn't notice anything around him. From the messiness of his hair. Or the clothes he was still wearing from the day before. Barry didn't care. He was in his own little world. So why should he care?  
Iris slowly approached Barry. "Bar?"  
He didn't respond. But his hand faltered a bit. Barry stood up and paced towards the boards filled with math equations and solutions. He put his hand up to it.  
"That's Ciscos work."  
Barry again, didn't say a word. But instead took in everything Iris talked about.  
The board was filled with scribbled math that she herself didn't understand. She couldn't ever hope to be as smart as them when it came to math. She stuck to journalism and strategy.  
Barry looked around the room again. Desperately trying to remember.  
"Help." He said quietly. If it wasn't for the silence, Iris wouldn't have heard him speak.  
"We're trying to help Bar." Iris approached him.  
He pointed at an equation on the board. Scribbled and crossed out. Iris eyes widened.  
Barry understood it.  
She knew now that he could get better. If not back to %100. She was going to try.  
She rung up Caitlyn and Cisco. Waking them up from their sleep. After hearing what Iris had to say they rushed over. Excited but nervous of the new found discoveries.  
But they all knew that he could get better. That he could be saved.  
And they were going to do it. Because they are Team Flash.

**Author's Note:**

> Turns out Hamilton and Les Mis soundtracks are excellent for writing!!!


End file.
